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Peer Review: Improve Your Reflective Essay

One of the biggest challenges writers face is reading a draft of their own work as a reader rather than as the writer. Because you know what you’re trying to say, you find it easy to understand your draft. To determine how you should revise your draft, ask a friend or classmate to read your essay and to consider how well you’ve adopted the role of observer (see The Writer’s Role: Observer).

Purpose	Did you understand the significance of my observations? Do I need to state my main idea more directly or say anything more to clarify what’s important about my subject? Does my subject seem relevant to you personally? Why or why not? Is there anything I can do to forge a better connection with readers? How did you respond to my reflections and observations? Do you accept what I had to say? Have I left you with something to think about?
Readers	Did the story of my experiences and insights make sense to you? Do you want to know anything else about them? Does my personality come through in my writing? Should I put more (or less) of myself into the essay? Have I offered you a fresh or unusual perspective on my subject?
Sources	Is it clear which experiences and observations are my own and which I brought in from other sources? If I have referred to any published works or recent events, have I cited my source(s) appropriately? How well does my use of details show, rather than tell, the significance of my subject? Should I add or remove any details? Have I used dialogue effectively? Is there too little or too much?
Context	Did you understand any references I made to cultural, political, or social contexts? Do I need to explain anything more directly? Is the physical appearance of my essay appropriate? Did you find the font easy to read? Did you have enough room to write down comments? Did I use illustrations effectively?

For each of the points listed above, ask your reviewers to offer concrete suggestions for improving your essay. You might want to ask them to adopt the role of an editor — someone who is working with you to improve your draft. You can read more about peer review in Chapter 4.